Couple Covers Home in Rainbow Lights After HOA Removes Pride Flag

Pride month has begun, and one couple is shining a light on discrimination for the second year in a row.

Last summer, Anibal Fachino and Lance Mier took over the internet with their clever response to a neighbor complaining about their pride flag. They originally shared their story with Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance forum in June 2021, where it received almost 100,000 upvotes and 6,500 comments.

The idea came to the couple after their local homeowners' association (HOA) in Racine, Wisconsin, created a rule that residents were only allowed to fly the American flag on their property. The next day, they received a notification that someone had reported their pride flag, which had hung on their front porch since 2016.

The pair complied when asked to remove their flag, but after researching their HOA's rules in more depth, they realized there was no restriction on removable exterior lighting. So, the couple purchased six colored floodlights and bathed their house in a rainbow of colors throughout pride month.

Their lighting display was so well-received, Anibal and Lance have decided to make it a yearly tradition. Sharing an update to Reddit on Thursday 19 May, Anibal explained how their idea really took off, receiving national coverage and a ton of support, but also a "side of online hate mail."

But despite a few detractors, Anibal told Newsweek that the positive response to their lighting show has been worth it. He said: "We've [had] words of encouragement from all kinds of different places, so that was fun.

"[The] point of doing our lights and flying our flag was to be inclusive, push representation, and show the community that we're there. That is a safe and inviting place to live, where all are welcome.

"We didn't feel as if we were being particularly brave or blazing any trails, we just thought the lights were cool looking and within our approved guidelines."

According to Gallup's yearly Value and Beliefs poll, support for same-sex marriage across the U.S is at a record high of 71 percent. This is an 11 percentage point increase from 2015, when same-sex marriage became legal across the nation.

When the annual survey was first conducted in 1996, just 27 percent of Americans were pro-same-sex marriage.

Despite record levels of support for same-sex marriage, anti-LGBTQ+ laws have also risen in recent years. Since 2018, 670 bills that would negatively impact the rights of LGBTQ citizens have been filed in the U.S—238 in the first three months of 2022 alone. This includes Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Bill, which prohibits the teaching of sexual orientation in schools between the ages of 5 to 9.

There are also concerns amongst the LGBTQ+ community and human rights campaigners that if Roe V. Wade is overturned, then same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges) could be next.

Anibal and Lance never found out who reported their pride flag, instead deciding to focus on the positives and move on. In last year's post, Anibal stressed that he has no problem with the HOA or thought that they were targeting his home unfairly. In fact, he is on the HOA board, which he describes as a "fun experience."

He said: "I enjoy connecting with my neighbors, and enjoy the flow of feedback, ideas, and sharing different perspectives with my fellow directors, as we all learn from each other different ways of looking at the same issues.

"So far it's been great!"

Reddit users were pleased that the couple had decided to make the lights a yearly tradition.

ConsciousBox2029 said: "Everything about this is beautiful."

Goatfellon commented: "I remember this and remember absolutely loving it. All my support and love to you and yours!"

RedMirriCat wrote: "Your Malicious Compliance is wonderful and is making the world a better place. Thank you for the update."